ADVANCEMENT CEREMONIES

Bobcat Induction - Living In A.D. 2030

Southern NJ Council

PERSONNEL: Bobcat Inductees, Parents, Den Leaders, and Cubmaster.

EQUIPMENT: Large cardboard background painted black (or covered with black paper) with star-shaped holes and a moon-shaped hole. Use yellow cellophane over the holes and backlight to give a star-lit effect. Cubmaster should be in an "astronauts" costume, which can simply be a pair of coveralls and ball cap with NASA labels.

ARRANGEMENT: Chairs for the Pack meeting are arranged in a circle. The backdrop '"sky" is at the open end of the circle. The backdrop has a light behind it and the room lights are dimmed.

CUBMASTER: Tonight, we hold our Pack meeting beneath the stars to welcome new members into our^- Pack. Just as astronauts are selected for America's Space Program, we will inspect these new Cubs to see if they have completed requirements for the first rank of Bobcat. Will the Den leaders please bring the Bobcat candidates forward? (All Den Leaders come forward with new Bobcats).

CUBMASTER: Den Leaders, please lead the Cub Scouts in the Promise and the Law of the Pack so we may know that they are ready to start their next challenge. (Den Leaders lead the new Cubs in the Promise and the Law).

CUBMASTER: Let the moon and the stars in the sky bear witness; these Cubs have learned their requirements well. They will continue to learn to be responsible individuals with proper guidance from responsible adults. Will the parents or guardians of the new Bobcats please come forward? (Parents enter circle behind Cubs. Cubmaster hands them the Bobcat badge with a pin in its bottom.)

CUBMASTER: Place the Bobcat badge on your Cub's uniform upside down until he has accomplished his first good turn. You must also pledge to help him advance along the Wolf trail and to assist the Pack in providing him the best program possible. (Parents acknowledge) These Bobcats must now and always live by our motto, Do Your Best! (Cubmaster salutes Cubs and Cubs return the Salute. Cubmaster gives each Cub the handshake and congratulates each.)

CUBMASTER: Lead Blast Off cheer and then say “And now, while the moon and stars shine brightly, let the Pack meeting continue.” (Room lights are turned up.)

Bobcat Induction - Inducting The New Family

Heart of America Council

Equipment: Wolf, Bear, Webelos and Boy Scout Handbooks; Bible, two blue, two yellow and one white candle; Bobcat badges and membership certificates.

Cubmaster: Friends, we welcome you to our ceremony for new Cub Scout families. Before you burn five candles, two are blue, two are gold, and the center one is white. In front of the colored candles are the letters "C", "U", "B", "S". These four letters spell "Cubs," but each letter by itself stands for something special.

Use off stage Den Chiefs, Den Leaders or Committeemen for voices.

Voice 1      The "C" stands for Courtesy. A Cub Scout is courteous. He is courteous to old folks, his friends, his teachers, and especially his parents. He is courteous in all that he says and does.

Voice 2      The "U" stands for unity. When a boy joins a Pack, his parents join too. He does not work alone but with other boys. He learns to get along with others.

Voice 3      The "B" stands for Bravery. The Cub Scout is courageous enough to stand up for the things that he thinks are right - honesty, equality, fair-play, thereby making the world a better place in which to live.

Voice 4      The "S" stands far Service. A boy not only does service to himself while he is a Cub Scout but he at so serves others. He strives to help spread good will in every way he can.

Cubmaster:       Cub Scouts, you see before you four books: the Wolf book, the Bear book, the Webelos book, and the Boy Scout handbook. They stand for the steps that a boy climbs as he goes higher and higher in Cub Scouting and finally reaches the very top as a Boy Scout. Also, before you lies a Bible open to these words: "Remember now, thy Creator, in the days of thy youth" –Ecclesiastes 12:1. That means that each boy should remember God, his Maker, in all that he says, does and thinks. The great white candle in the center stands for God, just as God should stand in the center of our lives.

You have come here tonight seeking admission to the friendship and fun of Cub Scouting. You have attended a meeting of the Den you expect to join. You have learned, along with your parents who are here with you, those things necessary to become a Bobcat.

Then present badges with usual rituals of your Pack

Note – There was a Bobcat Induction Ceremony in last month’s Baloo, also. Commissioner Dave

Kite Advancement Ceremony

Santa Clara County Council

Preparation - Make a large diamond shaped kite out of paper and wooden sticks. Draw or paste pictures of the Cub Scout badges onto the kite.  Attach a wide ribbon on the kite for tail.  Make the tail long enough to attach the badges onto the ribbon.  Suspend the kite to the ceiling (or a tree branch if outdoors) and let the ribbon hang down.  Attach the badges onto the ribbon with pins, starting with the Tiger Cub badge at the bottom of the ribbon and working up to the Webelos and Arrow of Light badges at the top.

Ceremony - As you call the boys (and parents) up to receive their badges; remove their badge from the ribbon.  You can also snip off a piece of the ribbon as a memento.

Flight Through Space

Circle Ten Council

Preparation:  Ceremony board resembling chart of sun and planets.  Planets are labeled as Cub Scout ranks (Cub Scout insignia stickers may be used).  A small blue and yellow cardboard rocket should be made for each boy getting a badge and placed on or under his old rank.  Place a loop of masking tape on the back of each  rocket, so it can be moved to new rank. 

Cubmaster:  Will the following boys and their parents please come forward?

(Read names of boys who are receiving awards).

Cub Scouts, we are happy to see you have taken another flight forward in our Cub Scout galaxy.  Please face your fellow Cub Scouts and Den Chief __________ will lead them in the rocket cheer.  (Pause for rocket cheer)

These Cub Scouts have done a fine job in our pack.  They are progressing through our Cub Scout galaxy.  This would not be possible if it were not for the interest and help of their parents.  I’m proud of the parents in our pack.  As I move your rocket forward in our galaxy, your parent will present you with your badge.  (Cubmaster calls off names and new rank of Scouts as he moves rockets to appropriate ranks on the ceremony board while parents present badges.  Cubmaster congratulates boys and parents with Cub Scout handshake.)

Great and Little Bears Advancement Ceremony

Circle Ten Council

Although most packs will not have a Cub who has completed his Bear Rank in September, I liked this ceremony and suggest that your file it for possible future use when you do have a bear Award. Commissioner Dave

Equipment:      Two posters, one illustrated with the Big Dipper and one with the Little Dipper with the North Star emphasized.

Cubmaster:  The constellations we call the Big and Little Dipper are also known as the Great Bear and the Little Bear.  Tonight, we would like to use them to present _______ with his Bear badge.

(Put up poster showing the Little Dipper)  This is the Little Bear.  The North Star is part of this constellation and has guided many people for thousands of years.

(Put up poster showing the Big Dipper)  This is the Great Bear.  Many people look first for the Great Bear in order to find the North Star.  Like Baloo, the bear in the Jungle Book, and the Big Bear Cub Scout book, it helps us to find the guiding star.  He is like _____ who has earned his Bear badge tonight.  Other Cub Scouts will now look up to him as someone who can show them the right way.

(Present the awards now.  Remembering to give the awards to the parents to present to their sons.  Awards could be attached to a shiny star.)

North Star Advancement Ceremony

Circle Ten Council

Personnel:  Cubmaster, the advancing Cub Scouts and their parents.

Equipment:  Pinhole planetarium punched for the Big Dipper and North Star, flashlight (or other representation of the big Dipper and north Star)

Set Up - The lights are dimmed with the Cubmaster shining the flashlight through the pinhole planetarium at the ceiling or wall.  The Big Dipper and North Star should be showing. 

Assistant CM - Call advancing boys and their parents forward.

Cubmaster:  For thousands of years, men have known that the North Star is fixed.  Shepherds knew it and seamen have used it and other heavenly bodies to guide their ships to port ever since they first dared leave the sight of land.  Even today, the stars are important in navigation for ships, jet planes and spaceships.  Cub Scouts don’t need the stars to find their way.  But even so, you do have your own guiding stars to help you through life.  For example, there is your church, your school and Cub Scouting.

In Cub Scouting, our navigational aids are the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack.  They tell us how we should act and what we should do for ourselves and for others.  The Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack are just like the stars by which the seaman steers his ship.

Tonight we honor these Cub Scouts who are navigating straight and true on the Cub Scout trail.  With their parents’ help, they have advanced on the trail and have shown that they live by the Cub Scout Promise and the Law.

(Present the awards now.  Remembering to give the awards to the parents to present to their sons.  Awards could be attached to a shiny star.)

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